Newsletter

Letters to the Editor Monday

The one thing I can say about Stanley Harris Jr.’s letters (Nov. 12) is that they never disappoint or surprise me.

This time, he was critical of Paul Ryan for holding his seat in Congress while running for vice president.

He conveniently forgot (or didn’t know) that Lyndon Johnson kept his senate seat when he ran as John Kennedy’s vice president.

Do you think it had anything to do with party affiliation?

I’ll admit that my friend Stan is amusing at times. That being the case, maybe you should run his letters in the comic section.

WALTER LOWE

Savannah

Comparing Ryan to president hypocritical

Is Mr. Harris aware that President Obama drew his salary as a senator when he ran for president in 2007? Remember the chaos when a new person had to be named to succeed him. He would have retained his seat and salary had he lost.

Paul Ryan only ran for five or six months. I fail to see that he was not eligible for the same benefits that President Obama was since Mr. Ryan has served for many years and Sen. Obama was a newcomer to the Senate when he ran.

Lastly, from the day he was elected in Illinois and to the Senate and presidency, he was campaigning and using taxpayer money to do so.

In my humble opinion it is hypocritical to compare these two individuals and the cost involved.

MARIE L. DOWD

Pooler

Newspaper’s views unlikely to change

Give it up, Mr. Coleman (“Time for Newspaper to Change Editorial View,” Nov. 13), the SMN is not about to change its “pro-Republican” policy because I have it on highest authority in the newspaper chain of command that they positively love letters like yours objecting to their policy.

Death to this newspaper would be silence from “liberals” like you and “conservatives” like me.

The fact is, though Republican Party leaning, this newspaper gives people like you a constant stream of Mark Streeter and his bedfellow, Leonard Pitts.

Streeter’s pictures mess up an entire editorial page, but again, the SMN loves the fire he generates. Their policy and Streeter/Pitts will never change.

DOUGLAS PATTERSON

Savannah

Americans have lost perspective

I recently heard an assessment that really hit home for me: If you asked a fish to describe its surroundings, the last thing it would say is water.

It seems our complacent republic has come to be similar to a fish – unfamiliar and ungrateful for its surroundings.

If you were to ask an American to describe his surroundings, unfortunately, I believe the last thing he would say is democracy. Even more unfortunate, he would probably project thoughts such as Kim Kardashian, MTV, baseball, shopping malls or amusement parks prior to anything politically related.

While you can find countless informed voters and thinkers, there still seems to be an abundance of those who know little about our political world. But I’m not placing the blame solely on them.

The blame falls partially on those who adhere to the too familiar adage of “don’t talk politics or religion” when they know the answers to many questions. Why not share your knowledge?

Today, our college graduates know no more about political affairs than our high school graduates did in the 1940s. We have lost the taste of democratic oppression, and it will continue to be washed away until we make a conscious effort to remind ourselves of how fortunate we are.

RYAN CHYLER THOMAS

Savannah

U.S. culture on downhill slide

What do we stand for as a culture? What is the “world-view” of our culture, and how does it affect our lives as American citizens? As I look at the direction our culture is going, I cannot help but notice the moral decay of our society, specifically in the last few decades.

Although as a society we have made major advancements in the areas of science and technology, it seems to be a reality that many other aspects of our society have experienced a sharp regression, namely the moral landscape of this country.

Sex sells, divorce rates are higher than they’ve ever been and the frequency of unthinkably heinous crimes committed daily has become somewhat common. These issues are only scratching the surface of the vast amount of evidence that points toward the moral decay of our society.

Perhaps the heart of this issue starts with the lack of moral absolutes in our culture. During the movement of the 1960s we see education becoming unhinged from any moral absolutes and ethical values. It could be argued that this has caused a significant loss of meaning and identity, especially for our country as a whole.

ADAM UHLIG

Richmond Hill

Health care change will cost veteran retirees

We owe our veterans the care they were promised and the benefits they have earned.

We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It’s a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end. But we know that for too long we’ve fallen short of meeting that commitment.

Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need. Too many veterans don’t receive the support that they’ve earned. Too many who once wore our nation’s uniform now sleep in our nation’s streets.

But the reality is 171,000 military retirees may soon lose TRICARE Prime. Defense officials are expected to announce that military retirees and their dependents who live more than 40 miles from a military treatment facility or BRAC (base closure) site will lose access to TRICARE Prime as early as next April.

This move could force those retirees to shift to TRICARE Standard, which would mean an increase in out-of-pocket costs, especially those with special-needs dependents or other chronic health issues.

The first round of Prime service changes is “tentatively” planned to go into effect in the west region on April 1. The north and south regions will see the plan implemented by Oct. 1, 2013.